A BLOOD Oath

The Name He Wouldn't Say

Kael did not move. Neither did Arielle.

Below them Lucien stood in the middle of the street with soldiers scattered behind him. Torchlight flickered across stone walls.

Lucien wasn’t looking at the soldiers. He was watching Kael. Waiting.

The wind swept sharply across the rooftop. It was cold enough to sting Arielle’s face. The tension she felt was heavier than the night air.

“You know who he means " she said quietly.

Kael’s jaw tightened.

“That doesn’t mean he’s telling the truth."

Lucien laughed softly from below.

“Oh that’s disappointing. I’m wounded."

“You should aim higher next time " Kael snapped back.

Lucien grinned wider.

“There he is."

Eamon stepped closer to the roof’s edge carefully.

“This conversation feels extremely unnecessary."

“No " Lucien replied. He was still staring at Kael.

“This one matters."

Arielle looked between them. Something had changed. Kael was angry before but this felt different. It was sharper, personal.

Lucien noticed her watching.

“Has he told you about the campaign yet?" he asked casually.

Kael’s voice turned calm.

“Lucien."

“Oh so that’s a no." Lucien said as he grinned.

Arielle frowned immediately.

“The what?"

Lucien tilted his head slightly.

“Interesting. You really are keeping secrets from each other."

“We are not having this conversation " Kael said.

“No " Lucien agreed lightly.

“Probably not. Especially since your soldiers are thirty seconds away from climbing this building."

On cue shouting echoed from the far end of the street. Soldiers were moving toward the alleyway below.

Eamon sighed heavily.

“I hate him " he muttered.

“That makes two of us " Arielle replied.

“Three " Kael added.

Lucien looked genuinely pleased by that.

“See? Bonding already."

Kael ignored him as he turned toward the opposite side of the roof.

“Let's move."

Arielle grabbed his arm before he could walk away. Not hard.. Enough to stop him.

“The campaign " she said quietly.

“What is he talking about?"

Kael looked down briefly at her hand on his arm. Then he met her eyes again.

“Not now."

“That’s becoming irritating."

“I’m aware."

“You’re always aware andit's never helpful."

For a second his expression softened. Then it disappeared again.

“We need to survive the night "

Arielle hated that he was probably right.

Below them Lucien stepped back into the shadows slowly.

“We’ll continue this later " he said casually.

“Assuming none of you die first."

“Comforting " Eamon muttered.

Lucien smiled.

Then he vanished into the darkness again. Like he always did.

Arielle genuinely began wondering if the man simply appeared whenever life became unbearable.

The soldiers below were getting closer now.

Kael moved quickly across the rooftop again. He was leading them toward the side of the district.

Arielle followed carefully this time. She tried not to slip on tiles.

She also tried not to think hard about what Lucien had said.

The campaign.

Whatever it was Kael clearly did not want her hearing about it.

Which immediately made her want answers more.

The rooftops eventually gave way to wooden walkways connecting older buildings.

The farther they moved from the palace district the rougher the city became.

Less wealth. More shadows.

Most of the windows here were dark. A few still glowed faintly with candlelight.

Arielle slowed down her pace beside Kael.

“Where are we going now?"

“There’s a river crossing "

“After that?"

“We leave the capital."

Her head turned sharply toward him.

“Tonight?"

“Yes."

Arielle looked back toward the palace in the skyline.

Everything she knew was there. What used to be her life before now anyway.

Leaving felt strangely final.

Kael noticed her silence.

“We can’t stay here anymore."

“I know."

Knowing it and feeling it were different things.

They climbed down another ladder into a deserted alley below.

Eamon landed beside them.

“If either of you mention rooftops again tonight " he muttered,

“I’m retiring "

“You’ve already retired " Arielle pointed out.

“Then I’ll retire again and harder."

Despite everything she smiled faintly.

The small moment faded quickly as Kael suddenly stopped walking.

Arielle nearly bumped into him.

“What "

Kael’s hand moved immediately toward his sword.

Arielle followed his gaze down the alley.

There was a figure standing and waiting near the exit.

Not moving. Watching them quietly.

A woman.

Tall. Hooded. Dressed in traveling clothes instead of armor.

Arielle immediately felt the shift in Kael beside her through the oath.

Shock. Real shock.

That's interesting.

The woman lowered her hood slowly.

Dark braided hair fell over one shoulder.

A scar crossed one side of her jaw.

It was pale against her brown skin.

She looked directly at Kael.

“You look terrible."

Kael stared at her for a second.

“Sera."

Arielle’s eyes moved quickly between them.

Well. That was new.

The woman—Sera—crossed her arms.

“You disappeared."

“So did you."

“Yes " she replied dryly.

“Usually people assume that means I wanted to stay hidden."

Eamon looked deeply exhausted already.

“I’m beginning to hate reunions."

Sera’s attention finally shifted toward Arielle.

Her sharp eyes immediately noticed everything.

The tension. The closeness.

The blood oath mark that was visible on Arielle’s hand.

Her expression changed instantly.

“Oh no."

Arielle blinked.

That was becoming a common reaction lately.

“You " she muttered.

Sera ignored her. Looked directly at Kael again.

“You bound yourself to someone?"

“It was necessary."

“That excuse must be contagious."

Eamon pointed at her immediately.

“Exactly."

Arielle folded her arms. Confused as usual.

“Am I the only person not included in these conversations?"

“Yes " all three answered together.

She stared at them in disbelief.

“This kingdom is unbelievable."

Sera smiled slightly.

It transformed her face completely.

Though the expression faded quickly.

“The soldiers are searching every district " she said.

“Your names are spreading fast."

Kael frowned.

“Both of them?"

“Yes."

Arielle’s stomach tightened.

“What are they saying about me?"

Sera looked at her carefully.

“That you murdered members of the court before escaping custody."

Arielle stared.

“What?"

Kael’s face darkened immediately.

“That wasn’t public yet " he said quietly.

Sera nodded once.

“Exactly."

Silence hit the alley.

Arielle slowly understood.

Someone wasn’t just hunting them anymore.

Someone was shaping the story.

Controlling what the kingdom believed happened.

“They’re turning the city against us."

“Yes " Kael said grimly.

Sera glanced toward the sounds of soldiers moving through nearby streets.

“They’re doing it fast."

Arielle suddenly remembered the execution square.

The crowd. The hatred in their faces.

How easy it had been for people to believe she was guilty.

A strange sadness settled heavily in her chest.

Not because strangers hated her.

But because the kingdom she grew up loving had decided her life meant nothing.

Kael looked toward Sera again.

“You shouldn’t have come back."

“You sent for me."

“I didn’t expect you to answer."

Sera’s expression shifted slightly.

“You usually only call when things are catastrophic."

“That feels fair " Eamon muttered.

Arielle looked carefully between Kael and Sera.

There was history there too.

Not romantic. Something older.

Battle-worn and tested.

Trust built through surviving things together.

Suddenly she realized something else.

Kael had people.

Very few.. Real people who knew him beyond the commander everyone feared.

That humanized him again in ways she wasn’t prepared for.

Sera’s eyes moved toward Arielle more.

Then toward the oath mark, on her hand.

Her expression darkened slightly.

“You felt it already didn’t you?"

Arielle frowned.

“Felt what?"

Before Sera could answer—

Kael stepped forward sharply.

“That’s enough."

The reaction was immediate.

Too immediate.

Arielle looked at him carefully.

There it was again.

That fear under the surface.

Not fear for himself.

Fear of something she didn’t understand.

Suddenly, she became certain the blood oath was far more dangerous than anyone had admitted.